Monorail vehicle



Jan. 8, \G. R NAplER A MONORAIL VEHICLE Filed March 2, 1932 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS du'ces "the necessary force tocounteract any tend- Patented Jan, 8, 1935 Gwrge R. Napifl fclevela d e g ggmu 'lAlxpmatidli m-1932, Serial at. 556,268] ,1 r V V v 311 :""(Cl.1.05mi r,

This invention relates to monorail vehicles and particularly to stabilizing means therefor. The

objeot of the invention is to provide improved means for maintaining upright a vehicle built to travel along a single rail, notwithstanding the factltliat'th'e center of gravity of the vehicle as a whole is above and not 'below the rail. "rhfurtherobjectof the invention is to provide such improved meanswhich is automatic in opr eratio'n and isgovernedor controlled by the direction of motion of the vehicle or, moreaccuy vious and part rat'ely, is made operative by any tendencyof the vehicle to depart from a straight path, so that when the monorail turns-in one direction or the 1 other the automatic stabilizing mechanism proency oi: the vehicle to leavethe rail. I

*Further objects of the invention are in part obwill appear more in detail herei inafter. V e

- In the drawing, which represents one "suitable embodiment'of the invention, Fig. 1 illustratestwo vehicles on parallelrails, the vehicle onthe-left .being shown in end elevation 'and that onfthe right in transverse sectional elevation; Fig. Zis

plan view partly broken out to expose-interior p rts; and Fig.3 is a side elevation'of the upper portion ofthe vehicle.

-[The invention is capable of application to any 30'; type ofvehicle adapted to travel on a monorail,

provided withone or, other words, in which thepath of motion Qi-thei'v'ehioIe as a whole is governed not by steering mechanism,1but by its confinement to the rail which guidesits course.v For example, the vehicle may be of bi-cycletype adapted to carry one or more persons and propelled either by the muscular effort of the rider or a :asoline engine or however, the invention is shown applied to apes-- seng'er car of larger and heavier construction than; a bicycle, said car embodying a frame or body :1

e or morewheels 2, resting upon the single rail 3 and which wheels may be driven bya'suitable power source, such asthe electric or gasoline motor 4. To adapt the invention for practice on railway lines now in operation, the car may be designed of; such width that two cars may' tr'avel one'on each of the two standard'rails with proper clearance between them, as shown inFigfl' 1. f For the purpose of maintaining the car upright' when at rest, as at a station platform, it'rnay be provided at eachside with one or more idle wheels 5 so mounted asto'have'their road contacting surfaces in substantially the samehorizontal plane with the rail wheels- 2, or, indeed, that in special cases slightly below the same, so

the car maybe removed from the rails and travelupon an ordinary roadbed.

Two forms of stabilizing mechanism or means are-shown, either or bothof which may be used,

vane is provided "with rrieans for "shaft 7.

by apower source, s ich as the like. For convenience,

as desired. Each thereof, upon any tendency of the vehicletodepartfrom astraight path, pro

duces an eftect upon the vehicle which counteractsits'tendencyto hit to one side or to leave the ,shape,but shown a's reetangular, which is mounted: toturn on' avertical axis' being supported by apost 8 mounted on the vehicle roof. 'S aid turning or adjusting it around its axis, 'such'as an 'arm- 9 connected toaniextensionoithe shaft 7 within the car, to whicharinfi operating or controlling means for 'thevane may be connected, either anvoperating means "adaptediormanual' operationby themotormanor other car operatoror automatically by any suitable mechanism :for the purpose. For example, arm 9'maybe cpnnectedby a link" 10 i to an arm-11 ona-tubular shaftm, which is provided with a hand lever {13, by operation of which thewane may'beturned to (me-side orthe other atthe winbrtheopramr, y 4 w t With suchan arrangement, let us assume that the car 1 shown in Fig; 2 istravelling from right to left}, so that the vane 6 trails behind its supva es: acts somewhat like'the rudder of a shipibut not for *the purpose of steering the vehicle, 3 because its motion is governed entirely'by the rail 'GQWhiCh it is confinedby the flanges of wheels 2, but said vane a'ctsas a stabilizer rorlmammmmg the vehicle upright. Assumefior discussion; that the track is: straight andjthen lookingiorward, takes a turn to the right; 5 As stones the wheels encounter the first curvature, "there is a' tendency for the car to tilt to the left, or, in other words, to continue on erator turns the handle 13: in the clockwise direction;, Fig/2 tilting thevane to the dotted line position, whereupon the air pressure onthe vane produced bycar motion applies tothe vehicle a force tending lean inward so long as the vane remains in the dotted line'positionw It is kept linithis position while traveling around the curve and when the track again straightens out the vane is moved back to its upright or middle position shown full lines. Of course, in manual operation of this vane it willbe adjustedmore or less in the same manner as the iront wheel orja. bicycle is adjusted while traveling along the road.

Movement of the vane will occur tothe same amount and in the proper 'direetionto meet and cope with any tendency of thelcar to tiltto one side orthe:

otheig so' thatothefr iet effect will be to maintain the vehicle in stable position'uponits trackway.

to tilt it to;the right, causing itto:

or proportion Naturally, the vane must be of proper size and dimensions in proportion'to the weight and speed of the vehicle, as well as other factors.

v the drawing shows such a propeller 14 at the forthe propeller itself is turns around the vertical axisoflthe drivin shaft 17 and is coupled to the sleeve 112 extending into the interior of the car and connected-to the -arm 11 before referred to. Therefore, the samemm. tion of the operating handle 13 before described ward end of the car. able bevel or other gears 15 from the motqr i and mounted in a head 16*whi'ch turns the propeller so that it faces forward diagonallyto the right onto the left in thesame-man-Q I ner as the vane 6 trails inone way-;.or the other:

This propeller is driven-bya-suitable motor of sufficient power so that while the car is traveling along its rail rotation of thepropeller, will produce a lateral-effect upon the-car, equivalent to thatof the vane -6, tending to'rightit shouldfit tend to tilt to one side orthe other.

Both the propeller and vane may be-used at the) sametime and d scr ed-,, q r

-If desired, the vane andr propeller, or either, thereof, if used alone, mayheautomaticall-y con-:

be subject I to operator control, as

trolled by any suitablemechanism, preferably one which is controlledbythe direction-of movementof the ,vehicle.,{; 'IThe. drawing illustrates in Fig. la pendulumQd-supported. to-swing on a; bracket 21- and connected to the stem 23 ,of a three w y va v 2 up lied air pressure,: from-.a source 25 by way of. a pipe 26. I Saidvalvecontrols the'flow of pressure to" one. or the other of twopipes-27, 28 which ;sup-;

plypressure to opposite. sides of apiston 29 work: ing in a cylinder 30 andsthe rod 31:-of;;which isconnected to an-arm 32 also; connected to the sleeve l8 andthereforeto-arm 1 1-. ;Wi-th this arrangement, any tilting-motion of the; vehicle to one side orthe other, caused by a curve or change of direction of the track, tilts the pendulum to oneside .or the other-and admits fluid pressure: to the cylinder 30, causing the piston 29:to move over and turn the vaneandpropeller, or which? ever one thereof ,is used, in the proper direction to? counteract the tiltingtendency. Ifdesired, a manually" operated device such as'handle 19, may be'usedto control the valve 24,-.sothat while a power source turns the stabilizer, it is neverthe less manually controlled.

The arrangement described, of course, is par-- ticularly suitable for monorail vehicles in which the center of gravity of the vehicle'as a-whole is? above the track on ,which it travels, or, in other words, vehicles which normally would have a tendencyvto fall-ofi'the track. Howeven-it may be applied to stable vehicles hung from anoverhead support or locked to the. rail, in-which case the stabilizer simply tends to avoid side -swings or tendencyof the car to move too -freely.- 'ihe'in vention further enables monorailsystems to be applied to the standard gauge tracks now-inuse throughout the country. 7 q a WhileI have describedthevehicle shown: in the, drawingas propelled by the motor 4 and adrif ing; wheel 2,

Indeed, the same propeller lgWh-ioh is used for stabilizing purposes by turning itli'n, one direce tion or the other, mayalsolbe vthe propeller for. t 13 9 ae iaq efiaerlra Other m an u It is driven through suit-g and center.of gravitwthereof being above the rail,

'just'able around a vertical axis by; fluid pressure, such. as

y it will, of course, be understoodgthat any; suitable -means of ,propulsion. ,-may be; used-.-

effect upon the vehicle.

propulsion may be used. Also the wheels 5, which are used for landing purposes or for supports when the car is at rest, may be adjustable vertically so that they can be more or less withdrawn from theroadbed-or applied t ;it:-by,vertical motion, as will be readily understood. .i. What I claim is: 1; A vehicle of the class described, comprising a body portion provided with supporting wheels adapted to travel along a single rail, the

and air propeller means positioned above the body and incIUding 'vanes rotating about a horizontal -axis,,the propeller as a whole being adto produce lateral tilting effect uponthevehicle;

2.- A vehicle'of the class described, comprising; a: body portionrprovided with-supportingwheels: arranged in a-lineand adapted'to travel along: a single rail, the center of gravity thereof being above the rail, and air propeller means including vanes rotating about a horizontal axis', .the,pro-,--

peller as a whole'being adjustable aroundiaverticalaxisto-produce lateral; tilting effect upon the vehicle; and on a.-.rad-ius -to place the propeller wholly within thearea of; the vehicle ,body'rev gardless of the position to which thepropeller is;

adjusted.

. 3. A vehicle'of the .class described,-. comprising a body portion providedrwith supportingwheelsand adapted to travel alonga single rail, thecenter of gravity-thereof being above. therrail, airpropellermeans positioned above the body-and including vanes rotating about a' horizontal axis, the propeller as a whole being adjustable arounda.; .ver,tical axis to produce :lateraltilting effect upon; the vehicle, and means governed by the motion of the, vehicle for adjust-ing the propeller,- todifierentpositions;--

4, A .vehicle. ofthe class described, comprising a body portion provided with supporting wheels. and-adapted ,totravel along a single-rail, the center ofv gravity thereof being above the rail, air propeller means, including vanes rotating aboutga horizontal axis, the propeller as a whole; being adjustable arounda vertical axis to: produce lateraltilting effect upon the vehicle, a stabilizing vane therefor lying in a vertical plane and; tiltable ,aboutfa verticalaxis, andmeans-for ad justing saidpropeller and said -.vane simultane- Qu lva d mums/Q11; r 5..A vehicle of the} class described, comprising a body portion provided with supporting wheels and ..adapted to travel alonga single rail, the center. of gravity thereof being above the rail, air propeller .means including vanes rotating. about a horizontal axis, the propeller as a whole being adjustable around a vertical axis to produce lateral tilting effect upon the vehicle, a stabilizing vane ftherefor lying in a vertical planeand tiltable about a'vertical axis,and means governed by. motion of the vehicle for adjusting said pro-.. peller' and said vanesimultaneously and in o 6. A vehicle of the class described, comprisinga body portion providedwith supporting'wheels and adapted to travel along a single m1,- the center ofgravity of. said vehicle being above the rail, and air propellermeans positioned substanti l y above the center of gravity of the vehicle, the propeller means as a wholebeing adjustable around a vertical axis to produce V lateral tilting ;v GEOR E; R. NAPIER.- 

